Decorative floor covering



JUG. ,2.

April 14, 1931.

H. R. PECK DECORATIVE FLOOR COVERING Filed Feb. 1, 1930 ffGl.

Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HUBERI R. IE'ECK, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR '10 ARMSTRONG CORK COMPANY, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA DECORATIVE FLOOR COVERING Application filed February 1, 1930. Serial No. 425,318.

This invention relates to decorative floor coverings and by its use unique and highly desirable effects may be obtained without any loss or diminution of quality from the standpoint of life and ability to withstand the effects of wear and washing.

The invention has particular value in installations wherein the principal floor covering is of linoleum or the like secured to the base. Various types of linoleum are on the market and many designs are incorporated therein. Unfortunately, however, existing processes of manufacture are such that any design must repeat at relatively short intervals, and where special figures are desired, these must ordinarily repeat at such intervals. Obviously, this makes it impossible to incorporate in standard linoleum pattern figures of sufficient size to have a commanding appearance in the floor, since figures of such size, if repeated at the intervals imposed by the limitations of manufacturing processes now in use, would ordinarily destroy the efiect which it is desired to obtain.

There are many installations where it is desirable to insert one or more special design figures, but this has been heretofore im possible. While it is common practice for linoleum layers to cut and patch linoleum in laying, or to lay different colors side by side, as, for example, a main pattern and a border, such practice has required only the simplest kind of cutting and is obviously not applil cable 1f complex designs are desired. By

complex designs I mean designs embodying curved lines, re-entrant angles, or features not encountered in common geometrical configurations such as squares, rectangles, or circles. It is important from the standpoint of appearance that the inset figure shall fit exactly in the space prepared for it, and it is also highly important because of the fact that dirt or Water tends to get into any cracks in the floor and loosen the linoleum from the base. This tendency is particularly bad Where strong soaps are employed, and if the design is of a complex character, requiring the use of relatively small design elements, the danger of these small elements becoming displaced is particularly marked.

I have found that all of these difficulties can be overcome and a highly desirable decorative floor may be obtained by providing an opening in the principal floor cover- 111g of a common geometrical configuration, r

and placing within this opening a separate inset piece of linoleum or the like, which inset piece is perforated in a complex decorative pattern and has its perforations filled with v a decorative element or elements of linoleum or the like. Such decorative element will preferably be in a color other than the color of the inset piece and will be so manufactured as to closely fit in the perforation.

In practice I have successfully made the inset and its decorative element by placing two sheets of linoleum, one on top of the other, onepiece being of the desired color for the inset piece, and the other being of the desired color for the decorative element,'and simultaneously punching out of the two pieces a shape corresponding to the complex decorative pattern. Thedecorative element thus formed is set into the correspondingly formed perforation and they fit so closely that it is unnecessary to securethem together in any Way, as they form a very close joint, and, as shown in practice, will adhere indefinitely to the base floor without any tendency to come loose under the action of traffic or of cleaning if properly laid.

In the manufacturing process, savings may be efiected by having both of the pieces which are punched of a size corresponding to a desired inset piece. For example, it may be desired to have an inset piece of black linoleum with a gray decorative element therein. By the abovedescribed process this will be formed by simultaneously punching a gray sheet and a black sheet. If both pieces are of the same size, the punched out portion of the black sheet may be placed in the opening formed in the gray sheet, thus giving an identical dcsign but forming an inset gray piece with a black complex design therein.

If desired, theinset piece may be of the same color as the surroundingprincipal floor covering. Since the only problem of the layer is to form an opening in the principal i to attempt to cut an opening complex, in character. In some casesit will be desirable to place a decorative strip or strips of another color .or colors around the inset piece,

in'which case itis necessary, of course, to make the openingin the principal floor covering of a size sufficiently larger than the size of the inset piece to accommodate the strips. However, the opening willpreferably be of the-same shape, as this permitsof usingstrips of uniform width. Such strips may be cut in the mill and made with great accuracy so that no loss in the quality of the floor is entailed. r j I In the accompanying drawings illustrating the present preferred embodiments of the invention, I V v V Figure. 1 is a plan view of a decorative floor; V

Figure 2 is a similar view, but showing decorative strips around the inset piece; and Figure 3 is a section toenlarged scale on the line IIIIII of Figure l. The floor shown in Figures 1 and 3 comprises a base 2 which may be an ordinary.

wood floor, cement tile or thelike, having a layer 3 of felt cemented thereon. 'A principal floor covering 4 of linoleum .or the like is cemented to the felt '3- and there is an opening formed in this principal floor covering to accommodate an inset piece 5. The inset piece 5 is in the form of a square and has a complex design, in this case a mounted knight, formed therein. Theinset piece 5 is perforated all the waythrough to form the design, and the perforation is filled with a decorative element 6 executed inacolor V other than the color'of the inset piece. As

abovestated, the inset piece 5 with its closely fitting decorative element is formed in the mill so that an extremelyv close fit is insured.

Each of the several pieces .,of linoleum making up the fioor is shown asfhaving a backing 7 of burlap orithe like,-and it will be noted that each piece has a separate backing. The cementing of the linoleum to the felt 3 is relied on to hold the pieceinposi+ tion. An extremely close fit obtained and the top surfaces of the several pieces areall flush as shown in Figure 3. his found in practice that once properly laid, the pieces tend to remain in position indefinitely and, of course, the designs persists regardless of the amount of wear to which the linoleum is subjected. 7

While designs of the size and character obtainable by my process have not been-empl0yed,it hasbeen common practice to form complexfigures by the molded inlaid process. In this case the design extends through existing floors.

tend .to mix and it is characteristic of molded inlaid linoleumthat the various design elements are separated by a wavy or shaky-line.

Figure '2 shows a floor'similar to that of Figure 1, except that a. difierent design is used andthe inset piece is surrounded by two strips "8 and 9 which add to the decorative effect. These strips are formed in. the mill and are exact in width, and it is therefore possible to very accurately fit the several parts together. In this case, as in the case of Figure 1, the several pieces of linoleum all present a substantially fiushand highly desirable .surface. 1 I l By the use of my invention it is possible to lay afloor of plain linoleum or with a running or other pattern, andthen fit in special figures at. the most suitable points,

taking into account the entire decorative figures with their complex decorative ele- I ments may be formed at low costand supplied to the retailer for laying in new or A wide variety ofeifects maybe obtained by their. use, and the individual taste ofcustomers maybe met at relatively low cost-and with the assurance that the floor will be of high quality and a not subject to deterioration in use. i

' I have'illustrated and described by way of-eXampletwo forms of the invention. It

will be understood, however, that itlis not limited to such formsbut; may be otherwise,

embodied within the scope of the following 7 claims.

i 1. Adecorative fioor comprising'a base, a principal floor covering of linoleum secured to'the base and having an opening-therethrough of a common gjeometricalconfigufa'f tion, a separate inset piece of linoleum secured to the base and lying within the opening, the piece having substantially the same configuration as the opening and having its top surface substantially flush with the top surface of said principal floor covering, said inset piece being perforated in a complex decorative pattern and having its perforations filled withia separate decorative ele ment of linoleum extending through thein set piece and secured tothebase, said element- 7 being of a color other than the color of, the inset piece. .c

2. A decorative floor comprising a base, a principal floor covering of linoleum secured to the base and having an opening therethrough of a common geometrical configuration, a separate inset piece of linoleum secured to the base and lying Within the opening, the piece having substantially the same configuration as the opening, said inset piece being perforated in a complex decorative pattern and having its perforations filled with a separate decorative element of linoleum extending through the inset piece and secured to the base, said element being of a color other than the color of the inset piece.

3. A decorative floor comprising a base, a principal fioor covering of linoleum secured to the base and having an opening therethrough of a common geometrical configuration Without re-entrant angles, a separate inset piece of linoleum secured to the base and lying Within the opening, the piece having substantially the same configuration as the opening, said inset piece being perforated in a complex decorative pattern and having its perforations filled with a separate decorative element of linoleum extending through the inset piece and secured to the base, said element being of a color other than the color of the inset piece.

4:. A decorative floor comprising a base, a principal floor covering of linoleum secured to the base and having an opening therethrough defining a common geometrical configuration, a separate inset piece of linoleum secured to the base and lying Within the opening but spaced from the edges thereof, and a filler strip lying in said space, said inset piece being of substantially the same configuration as theopening, and the filler strip being of substantially uniform Width, the inset piece being perforated in a complex decorative pattern and having its perforations filled with a separate decorative element of linoleum extending through the inset piece and secured to the base, said decorative element being of a color other than the color of the inset piece.

5. A decorative floor comprising a base, a principal floor covering of linoleum secured to the base and having an opening therethrough defining a common geometrical configuration, a separate inset piece of linoleum secured to the base and lying within the opening but spaced from the edges thereof,

and a filler strip lying in said space, said inset piece being of substantially the same configuration as the opening, and the filler strip being of substantially uniform Width, the inset piece being perforated in a complex decorative pattern and having its perforations filled with a separate decorative element of linoleum extending through the inset piece and secured to the base, said decorative element being of a color other than the color of the inset piece, the top surfaces of the principal floor covering, the inset piece, the filler strip and the decorative element being all substantially flush.

6. A decorative floor comprising a base, a principal covering of linoleum secured to the base and having an opening therethrough of a typical geometrical configuration, a separate inset piece of linoleum secured to the base and lying Within the opening, the base having substantially the same configuration as the opening, said inset piece being perforated in a complex decorative pattern and having its perforations filled With a separate decorative element of linoleum extending through the inset piece and secured to the base, said element presenting a visual effect different from that of the inset piece.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HUBERT R. PEOK. 

